After watching Denmark vs. Portugal today, I have come to a rather disturbing realization: perhaps the problem was never Cristiano Ronaldo. Perhaps some of these Portuguese players simply never wanted to play for him in the first place.
Look at Bruno Fernandes today. He created five chances, while Vitinha made intelligent runs and showed tremendous attacking initiative. The creativity, movement and willingness to take responsibility were there for everyone to see. But where was this level of commitment when Cristiano Ronaldo was leading the attack?
This is not just about today's game. Even during the World Cup, we witnessed a Portugal team that seemed more comfortable making Ronaldo the scapegoat than accepting collective responsibility for its failures. A player who had dedicated his entire career to his country was suddenly treated as though he was the biggest obstacle to the team's success.